Carisbrook Heights closure angers parents

The Carisbrook Heights campus which will close for good at the end of the year because of falling...
The Carisbrook Heights campus which will close for good at the end of the year because of falling rolls. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
Parents of children at Carisbrook Heights say they have lost all trust in the school after being told it will close for good at the end of the year because of dropping rolls.

The campus, which is on the former Calton Hill School site in Riselaw Rd and is a secondary campus to Carisbrook main school, was formed as a result of a merger between Caversham, College Street and Calton Hill Schools in 2011.

A parent of a Carisbrook Heights pupil who did not want to be named said parents were told of the closure in a letter couriered to families last week.

The letter encouraged parents to transfer their children to the Carisbrook main site, on the former Caversham School site in South Rd. However, they would not take up the offer, the parent said.

``My child won't go down to the main school. They will change schools because of the way this has been handled.''

The decision contradicted a 2014 agreement made by the board of trustees and Ministry of Education to keep the Heights campus open permanently, they said.

The agreement led parents to believe the campus would be ``tidied up to make it more appealing'' for prospective pupils, the parent said.

``Because this didn't happen, it's like a trust thing. You have got to be able to trust the place where you send your child to and all trust is gone.''

The parent was also upset families were not involved in a consultation process about the fate of the campus.

Another parent said they had two children at the campus, and while they wanted to send them to another school next year, the letter had left them no time to find a better option.

``The way it has been done feels like we have been held to ransom.''

Carisbrook School board of trustees chairman Steve Coombes said the board's decision to transfer all classes to the main site was made on November 30, as part of the annual planning process, and parents and teachers were told the next day.

Enrolments at the campus had more than halved since it opened in 2012 with 63 pupils, Mr Coombes said.

The board understood some parents would take the decision as a chance to consider ``all available teaching options for their children''.

``We want to provide all students with improved access to a wider peer network, learning resources, pastoral and teaching support and facilities to continue to lift their educational experience, wellbeing and achievement.''

The 29 Heights campus pupils visited the Main site regularly and free daily transport between the campuses would be offered.

No teachers would lose jobs as a result of the decision, but fixed-term contracts would expire at the end of this year, Mr Coombes said.

Because the school was a split campus, the decision to close a campus could be made by the board of trustees, rather than the Ministry of Education.

The campus would remain part of the school's facilities.

The Ministry of Education had not replied to questions by late yesterday.

Carisbrook School received $5000 in Caltex funding towards Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects yesterday.

The funding was part of $100,000 given to schools for Stem subjects.

margot.taylor@odt.co.nz

Comments

This one just smells really badly. I can't help thinking this was all part of the plan when the schools were merged. Cut sites, "merge" students, sell off assets, its just all about money, not education.

When you promise improvements will be done to the campus and then don't do them, don't be surprised enrollments drop. The fact that students were already being taught subjects at both sites shows the school had no real commitment to the Riselaw road site.
And who believes for one minute that the free bus between the campus' will still be running in 2 years time. Or that the trustees or education department won't be trying to sell off the Riselaw road site in the very near future..

 

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